Automatic station-indicator for cars.



J. WOLSKI. AUTOMATIC STATION INDICATOR FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30. 1914.

1,155,694. Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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J. WOLSKI.

AUTOMATIC STATION INDICATOR FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 30. 1914.

1,155,694. Patented 001;. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, D4 6.

JAN WOLSZKI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC STATION-INDICATOR FOR CABS.

Application filed November 30, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAN VVOLsKI, subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Station-Indicators for Cars, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in automatic station indicators for cars.

The primary object of the device is to provide an indicating means within a car trip-operated exteriorly of the car whereby the names of the successive stations along the route traveled is automatically changed.

A further object is to provide a tripping member upon the car roof adapted to engage a fixed actuator at a desired distance from a station and whereby such mechanism shifts a curtain within the car for displaying to the occupants thereof the name of the next station to be reached during the travel of the car.

A still further object is to provide a special form of automatic shifting means for a station-indicating curtain whereby the curtain will be shifted in opposite directions automatically when the carrying car is traveling in opposite directions.

\Vith these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and a1- rangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the appended claim.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like-designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device attached to a carroof, the'roof being broken away and the forward side of the casingremoved. Fig. 2 is a central transverse vertical sectional view of the elements shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a similar section taken through the casing of the-operating mechanism and a portion of the trip wheel being broken away. Fig. at is an enlarged detail front elevation of the lower portion of the winding drum and its actuating means, parts being broken away. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view of one of the dog actuators for the winding drum shaft, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

Serial No. 874,686.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view showing in enlarged detail the operative engagement between the dog actuator and the drum shaft.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the invention broadly consists in the pro- VlSlOIl of a casing 10 suspended interiorly of the roof 11 of a car such as 12 and provided with a shiftable curtain or apron 13 which has the names 14% of the stations along the line of travel of the car printed upon the directly opposite sides thereof, the name of a single station being visible to the occupants of the car through opposite windows 15 of the adjacent portions 16 of the sides 17 of the said casing.

The casing 10 is divided into two portions or chambers, one portion 18 being adapted for holding the curtain. which is wound upon and extends between upper and lower winding drums 19 and 20 respectively, while the other chamber 21 positioned at the side of the portion 18 is adapted for housing the actuating mechanism for the drums, it being noted that the axles 22 and 23 respectively of the drums 19 and 20 are ournaled in the opposite side walls 2% and 25 of the casing portion 18 and have extending ends 26 and 27 respectively extending into the portion or chamber 21 of the casing as best illustrated in Fig. '2.

Pulley wheels 28 are mounted upon the said ends 26 and 27 of the axles and have a belt 29 running thereover whereby the forced turning of the lower axle 23 by the mechanism hereinafter described, imparts a corresponding movement to the upper axle 22 and by means of which the two drums are turned simultaneously in the desired direction for shifting the'in-dicating curtain 13.

Housings 30 are journaled upon the axle extension 27 and are of the form best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, each being provided with a pivoted dog 31 having a curved tapered end 32 normally engaging the teeth of the adjacent toothed portion 33 of the said axle end 27. Each housing is provided with a longitudinally extending leaf spring 34 having one end rigidly secured as at 35 to the housing adjacent the shaft journal end thereof and having its free end resiliently engaging the adjacent face of the dog 31 for normally retaining the dog in engagement with the shaft teeth. The dogs 31 are pivoted upon pins 36 car ried by the housings 30 and are each provide'd with an angular extension 37 for pivopposite directions. By this arrangement it.

will be seen that an upward pull upon either of the rods 38 will turn its housing 30: and, the carried dog 31 being in engagement with the axle, the latter will be turned thereby, while the return or downward movement of the rod 38 allows its housing to return to its normal vertical position, during which movement the dog ratchets over the teeth of the axle allowing the axle and the drums to remain in the adjusted position. An encircling spring 39 is provided. for each of the rods 38, the said springs having their lower ends seated upon and secured to a horizontal brace l0 of the chamber 21, through the openings 52 of which the rods 38 extend, while their upper ends are secured to the said rods and by which means as will. be evident, the rods will be automatically returned to their rest positions, while a stop 51 is engaged by the housings to position said housings normally vertical.

A bracket 4-1 mounted upon the outside of the car roof 11 has a shaft 4-2 journaled therein and provided at one end with a poripherally grooved wheel 43 over which a cord 44 passes and has depending ends 4L5 of equal length running between spaced rollers 46 and secured to the upper ends of the rods 38. The said cord is secured at its central point by a hold-fast device 4-7 to the periphery of the wheel 43.

A V-shaped trip arm 48 is secured to the end of the shaft 42 opposite the pulley 43 and is adapted to be engaged by stationary trip bars positioned at each station throughout the line of travel of the car. The V- shaped trip arm permits of a swing of greater length than would an ordinary vertical single arm, this increased movement being imparted to the travel of the web 13.

From this detailed description of the device, it will be seen that with the mecha nism positioned so that the next station to be reached by the car will be visible through the opposite windows 15, the arm 48 will engage the bar 49 when such station is reached, which will result in turning the shaft 42 in a rocking movement and thus turning the pulley 43 which will pull upwardly upon one of the cord ends 45 and the actuating mechanism is then returned by means of its spring 39 to its normal rest position as illustrated in Figs. at and 6. As one of the actuating dogs and rods is adapted to wind up the curtain in one direction, and the other similarmeans to wind the same in the opposite direction, it will be noted that the correct succeeding stations will be indicated upon the outward trip of the car by one of the shifting devices, while the other device will shift the curtain upon a return trip. The device will operate in a similar manner if only a portion of the complete trip is taken and the car then re turned without traveling to the end'of the line, the car being of the type that travels in either direction desired without being turned around. a

As herein illustrated, the window sides 17 of the casing are preferably provided with the V-shaped walls 16 having the windows 15 at theirapices, while pairs of rollers 50 are positioned within thecasing for accurately conducting the curtain between the two windows.

lVhile the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is In a device of the kind described, a shaft, oppositely-disposed ratchets on the shaft, independent levers loosely journaled on the shaft and freely movable in opposite direc tions, stops to limit movement of each lever in the opposite direction to that in which it is freely movable, pawls carried by the levers and engaging the ratchets, and means connecting the free ends of the levers eluding a flexible portion.

I11 testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JAN WOLSKI.

\Vitnesses TOMARZ FURDMAN, A. BABIARZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

and in 

